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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for cleaning pipe or tubing and fittings for soldering or brazing. More particularly, it relates to an adjustable device for abrading copper or brass tubing and fittings, using wire brushes, to remove oxides and contaminants preparatory to soldering or brazing.
2. Background Information
Soldering or brazing of pipe or tubing requires that the joined surfaces of the pipe and fittings be thoroughly cleaned of organic and inorganic contaminants before be wetted by the molten solder or brazing alloy. This cleaning is mandatory to form sound joints which are free of porosity and voids and which do not leak.
Organic contaminants, such as grease or oil, are removed by wiping the item with a solvent appropriate for removal of the organic contaminants. Inorganic contaminants, such as oxides or scale, are physically removed by rubbing the item with dry steel wool, emery cloth or wire brushes. Motor driven brushes or emery cloth are also commonly used.
Proper cleaning of joint members prior to soldering or brazing is essential in order to economically form sound joints. Clean joint surfaces can be rapidly soldered or brazed using a minimum of heat, flux, and filler alloy. These economies of time, energy, and materials more than offset the cost of proper cleaning.
Manual cleaning of a large number of tube/fitting joint components can become tedious and time consuming and can, thus, lead to operator inattention and error. Motor driven physical abrasion means clearly can eliminate tedium and permit rapid and effective cleaning of large numbers of joint components.
A number of patents have issued for tools for cleaning pipe threads, or pipes and fittings, prior to connecting the various parts. Toelke, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,003, describes a powered pipe thread cleaner with a housing having driven brushes. The device includes brushes inside and outside the pipe. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,448, True discloses another powered thread cleaner with adjustable arms that have brushes. The system is designed to fit various sized pipes by adjusting the arms.
Roberts, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,127, describes a thread cleaning device with a clamp for securing the pipe and radial brushes that are adjustable to fit various sized pipes. In the device shown one set of brushes cleans internal threads and another set of brushes cleans external threads. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,892, Ross discloses a device for cleaning male and female electrical connectors using one or more brushes. The brushes are configured for insertion into connector orifices.
Miner, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,444, discloses a pipe thread cleaner assembly that includes at least one rotating brush that revolves around the outside of the pipe and at least one brush that rotates inside the pipe.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,549, Criswell et al. disclose a device for cleaning pipes or fittings, including an internal brush for cleaning of fittings and an external brush for cleaning of pipe, prior to soldering or brazing. Both brushes are provided in a single tool so that either tube or fitting can be cleaned without changing or reversing the tool. A drive socket is provided on the brush holder shell to permit manual or motor driven operation. Both brushes are fixed, so cleaning the exterior of a pipe or fitting requires the inside be cleaned, as well.
Guidry et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,802, describe a pipe thread cleaner having cleaning heads with rotating thread brushes driven by motors on the heads. Separate heads for the box and pin ends have splash shrouds with gaskets to bear on pipe surfaces. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,534, Miller discloses a multi-purpose rotary pipe or tubing cleaner specially adapted for cleaning copper pipe and fittings for sweat soldering joints. The device has rotary internal and external brushes and an internal reamer. Note the separate chucks for each brush of FIG. 2 and the separate brushes required in FIGS. 3-6.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,173 by White describes a pair of electrical motors each with a shaft and a brush on the shaft. One brush is for the interior and one is for the exterior of pipes or fittings. Carter, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,370 discloses a pipe cleaner attachment with a housing having a shuttle guide slidably mounted therein. A pair of brush levers are pivotally mounted in brush guide slots. A reamer is also included in the device.
Thus, there exists an unmet need for a simple device that can quickly yet selectively clean either the inside or the outside of tubing or fittings prior to joining of the components by soldering or brazing.
The invention is directed to an adjustable fitting and pipe cleaning brush device. The brush device includes a hollow cylindrical member having an interior and exterior surface, an open end and a closed end, with the closed end having an axial aperture there through. An outer wire brush member is circumferentially positioned on the cylindrical member interior surface adjacent to the open end thereof, with the outer brush member having an axial aperture there through. An inner wire brush member is connected at one end to a linear shaft member. The inner brush member fits within the hollow cylindrical member between the outer brush member and the closed end thereof, with the linear shaft member extending through the closed end axial aperture, the linear shaft member axially moveable therein. An engaging means is present for securing the shaft member to the cylindrical member closed end for transferring rotational movement from the shaft member to the hollow cylindrical member. The inner brush member and attached shaft member are axially extendable through the outer brush member aperture to position the inner brush member beyond the cylindrical member open end with the shaft member maintained within the axial aperture of the cylindrical member closed end.